The World’s Best Places to Live: Who Comes in at #1?

Survey was done by Mercer (from Wikipedia): Mercer is a human resource consulting firm, headquartered in New York City, New York, that is recognized as one of the leading business institutions in the world. It has been ranked by Vault.com, Inc. as the #1 human resource consultancy for several years running, including most recently in 2008.[1] Among all consulting firms, Mercer is currently ranked #8 for prestige.[2] * Consultants rated each city on a variety of factors including the level of traffic congestion, air quality, and personal safety reported by expatriates living in more than 600 cities worldwide. The rankings are based on a point scoring index, with Zurich scoring 108 and Baghdad scoring 13.5. Cities are compared to New York as the base city, with an index score of 100. The quality-of-living survey covers 215 cities and is conducted to help governments and major companies place employees on international assignments. The survey also identifies those cities with the highest personal safety ranking based on internal stability, crime, effectiveness of law enforcement, and relationships with other countries. #1: Zurich, Switzerland

Ever wonder what it would be like to swim with jellyfish? Travel and adventure photographer Kien Lam fulfilled this fantasy by flying across the globe to Jellyfish Lake in Micronesia. Anyone who has been stung by a jellyfish can attest—it’s not a pleasant experience. But Jellyfish Lake in Palau is filled with millions of jellyfish that have evolved in a way that makes it safe for humans to swim in the same waters.

If you’re unfamiliar with Larung Gar, it may be because the small, remote town located in a far-flung corner of China has largely stayed out of the tourism spotlight. It is, however, a cultural and historical Tibetan treasure that has been undergoing tremendous changes in the past few decades, particularly in the midst of global controversy between Tibet and China.